


Taboo

by kinoface



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Community: kitto_slutparty, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Sirens, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 11:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5046949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinoface/pseuds/kinoface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sho begins his new job as a journalist and meets a few interesting characters along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taboo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akhikaru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhikaru/gifts).



> This fic is ridiculous, the end. Thank you cupcake4mafia for beta-reading!
> 
> Originally posted [here](http://kitto-slutparty.livejournal.com/32402.html) for Kitto Slutparty 2015.

It's nearing the end of Sho's first week on the job -- he's no longer a coffee-buying intern, nor a note-taking assistant, but an actual notepad-scribbling, recorder-wielding, badge-wearing journalist -- and every single day, he's woken up early so that he has time to stand in front of the mirror and deliver a motivational speech to himself. "You're gonna do great today," he's told himself each and every morning, smiling the way he does when someone is taking his picture. "You're gonna go out there and build an amazing reputation for yourself."

But today is day five, and this morning's speech is a little lackluster compared to the others. He needs it more than ever, because today is his first out-in-the-field assignment, but he can't help the nervous tension building inside of him. After all, the person he's supposed to be interviewing... well, this person has a bit of a reputation himself.

Around the office, faeries have become somewhat of a horror story -- the kind of thing grizzled vets talk about to frighten the rookies. Faeries play tricks, the veterans say. They deflect all lines of questioning. They throw you off guard one way or another. They almost always try to steal your wallet. And, more than anything else, they can sense fear. With these kinds of stories floating around, Sho's been having anxiety dreams about having to interview a faerie since he began _thinking_ about becoming a journalist.

So, of course, it's just his luck that his first assignment would be a damn faerie. And not just any faerie, but one who's known for being particularly tough to handle.

"Everything is going to be fine," Sho tells his reflection. "You're gonna do great today." He straightens his tie, smooths down his hair, checks that there are no remnants of breakfast stuck in his teeth. "You're gonna go out there and build an amazing reputation for yourself."

Not even his reflection seems to believe him. He pulls his best _Don't mess with me, faerie!_ face, then sighs when it looks a little goofy. "It's a blessing in disguise," he assures himself. "I'll get this hurdle out of the way early, and after this it'll all be easy-peasy."

It's not the most convincing speech he's ever delivered in front of his bedroom mirror, but it'll have to do for now.

~

They've been scheduled to meet in the northeast corner of a park near the office, alongside a large pond where children are throwing pieces of bread out to the quacking ducks as their mothers watch from the benches. Sho's boss had told him, "Faeries like that kind of stuff, right? Nature and shit?", which Sho thought had been a bit callous; if it were _his_ job to pick a place, he'd have done at least a little bit of research beforehand. (In fact, Sho did quite a bit of research anyway. Best to be prepared.) But that's not part of his job, not yet, and when he finally makes it over to the pond, he finds that the subject of his first interview is already waiting for him.

He hadn't been sure how they would spot each other, but once he arrives, it's pretty clear who he'll be meeting with. Among the benches lined with exhausted parents and energetic children, the faerie is hard to miss. He's sitting in the grass in front of a wide tree stump, back hunched casually and a bit incongruously with the finely tailored crimson suit he's wearing, the long coattails spread out behind him. He's looking down, focused entirely on the deck of cards he's shuffling over the tree stump as two tiny ducklings twitter noisily around him.

Sho isn't sure what to call him -- he's just been thinking of this man as The Faerie because no one ever told him a name -- so he feels a bit awkward as he walks up to the stump and bows politely. "Good morning," he says. The faerie doesn't look up. "I'm Sakurai Sho. I believe you're the one I'm supposed to be interviewing today."

The faerie keeps shuffling his cards, not reacting one bit. Sho begins to panic, wondering if he's just embarrassed himself by picking the wrong person, but finally, the faerie glances up at him and flashes a smile that Sho can only think to describe as devastatingly handsome.

This whole scene -- the outfit, the ducklings, that _smile_ \-- is so outrageous that Sho is both reassured that he'd picked the right person and disappointed that he doesn't have a photographer with him to capture it all.

But the smile only lasts an instant. The faerie looks back down at his cards and continues shuffling. When Sho only stands there awkwardly, the faerie says without looking up, "Sit, why don't you?"

Sho hesitates, thinking of his expensive dress slacks. The faerie glances back up at him, one eyebrow raised in question, and he shoves down his worry and quickly sits down on the opposite side of the tree stump. The faerie says nothing, but as soon as Sho is settled, he begins dealing out the cards into two piles.

In his research, Sho discovered that it's customary in many faerie circles to begin any kind of meeting, formal or informal, with a game. He doesn't want to be rude, so he waits patiently as the faerie lays out the entire deck into those two piles. He's not sure if it would be impolite to begin talking, so he focuses instead on trying to memorize as much detail as he can: the intricate embroidery on the faerie's jacket, the flamboyant swoop of his hair over the golden circlet decorating his forehead, the stark line of kohl around his eyes, the salacious curve of his mouth --

He catches the faerie smirking at him, and he suddenly remembers another part of the horror stories circulating the office. _They almost always try to steal your wallet,_ the vets say. _Or weasel their way into your heart. Or just your pants._

That train of thought is interrupted when he realizes one of the ducklings has managed to climb its way onto the tree stump. It chirps and flaps its wings at the faerie, like it's trying to get his attention, but the faerie just scoops it gently into the palm of his hand and sets it right back down onto the grass. Sho doesn't get a chance to ask; a moment later, all the cards have been dealt, and the faerie is picking up one of the piles to begin sorting through it, picking cards two at a time and discarding them in a new pile on the stump.

"Old maid," he explains when he notices Sho just staring at his own cards uncertainly. "You know it, yes?"

Thankfully, Sho does know this game. They play in silence, because Sho still doesn't know if he should be talking or not, and the faerie doesn't seem eager to start up any conversations of his own. It feels a little awkward at first, just jumping in like this without any kind of proper greeting or introduction, but he supposes this _is_ the faerie's way of introducing himself. It begins to feel more natural as they continue playing, picking cards from each other's hands, discarding from their own hands as they go. Sho doesn't start with the joker, but he pulls it from the faerie's hand within a few rounds and has to mentally scold himself for the warm feeling that sprouts up inside of him when the faerie smirks at him again. After that, the mood shifts; every time the faerie reaches to take a card from Sho, he keeps his eyes trained right on Sho's face. He picks slowly, his fingers hovering over one card, then another, then another. As the seconds tick by, Sho feels pinned in place by the faerie's gaze. There's something sharp in those eyes, like the faerie is figuring out a lot more than just where the joker is.

In the end, Sho loses the game. He's not particularly surprised by that, but he's also not sure what to make of it. If this is a faerie introduction, does Sho's loss somehow shape the way the rest of their interaction will play out? Nothing in his research really said anything about it, and despite the fact that Sho is here to conduct an interview, it feels impolite to ask about it.

He doesn't have long to worry about it, though. Within moments, the faerie is gathering up the cards and tucking them into his jacket pocket, then rising to his feet. As the ducklings quack and run around his ankles, he looks down at Sho and says, "Let's get out of here."

And then he walks away.

Sho scrambles onto his feet and starts after the faerie, careful not to trample the ducklings that are waddling hurriedly after them. "Wait, uh -- Faerie-san -- where are we going?"

The faerie laughs at the name and keeps walking.

Sho follows him all the way to the edge of the park, where cars are lined up along the street. He's a little startled when the faerie pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocks a shiny silver car. He can't help it: he stands there in awe and says, "Seriously?"

The faerie looks up at him, completely deadpan. "Hm?"

"This..." Sho gestures to the car. "This is how you get around?"

The faerie's eyebrows shoot way up, but Sho can tell from the subtle quirk of his mouth that he's only pretending to be affronted. "What's so surprising about that? We do live in the modern world, you know. Just because we're not as helpless as you humans doesn't mean we don't enjoy the technology you come up with to get you through your boring lives."

Sho is taken aback, suddenly unsure if the faerie really was pretending. But then the faerie laughs and says, "But my other ride is a cloud of magic smoke. You can say we rode around on that if you think it'll sound better."

They get into the car and pull out onto the street. Sho is feeling a little afraid of what the faerie's driving is going to be like, but he turns out to be just like any human driver: a little fast, maybe, but mostly safe. Once they've made it a few blocks away from the park, Sho clears his throat and asks, "So, should we start the interview now?"

The faerie says, "Oh, you mean it hasn't already begun?", and turns down a quiet residential street.

Sho isn't really sure how to respond to that, so he decides to take it as a yes. He reaches into his jacket pocket, looking for his notepad, and asks, "For starters, may I ask your name?"

"You can call me Nino."

Sho wants to know if that's his real name, or perhaps a title, or if this is a cruel prank and it will turn out to be some horrifically offensive faerie word that Sho will only learn the meaning of _after_ the article's been put to print. He'll save those questions for later, though; in the meantime, where did he put his damn notepad? He reaches into the pocket of his slacks instead. As he searches for it, he thinks of another question: "Oh, I have to ask -- what was up with the ducklings?"

"Oh, them?" The faerie is smirking again, his fingers tapping out a little rhythm on the steering wheel. "Those were my bodyguards."

Sho's eyes go wide. " _What_?"

"Don't worry," the faerie assures him. "Shapeshifting spells are harmless. They'll be back to normal in no time. I just didn't want them interfering with our interview, you see."

That's _definitely_ something Sho wants to ask about later -- but in the meantime, his most pressing concern is the fact that _he can't find his damn notepad._

Granted, it's not as if there was anything particularly compelling in it. Sho only writes for the entertainment section, after all, and for his first interview, his boss gave him a standard list of questions to start with: _What do you find is the biggest difference between faeries and humans? What's your favorite thing about the human world? What's your favorite human food?_ Sho added a few of his own, like _What do the faeries tend to think about human politics?_ , but he'd rehearsed them so many times in his head that he thinks he'll be able to recall most of them from memory. The problem isn't that he doesn't have his questions. The problem is that something of his is _missing_ , and all the stories he's heard about mischievous, thieving faeries begin to run through his mind at top speed.

He goes through all the pockets in his pants, front and back, and somehow manages to squirm out of his jacket without unbuckling his seatbelt so that he can look through that too. He turns the damn thing inside out, and wiggles his hands down into the little hidden spaces around his seat, and all he finds is a discarded gum wrapper.

Nino hasn't said a single word, but he's been smirking this entire time. "Missing something?" he asks.

That prompts Sho to check for his wallet, too, but he finds it in his back pocket like normal. "My notepad," he says. "Did you..." He doesn't want to outright accuse Nino of stealing from him, though he knows Nino must know that's what he's thinking. "Did you happen to see it anywhere?" he asks instead, trying to keep his tone neutral despite his frustration.

Nino only says, "Nope."

Sho frowns. "Maybe it fell out of my pocket when we left the park," he says quietly, hoping Nino will offer to go back so they can check, but of course he gets nothing in response. His frustration builds, and without thinking of the consequences, he says, "They warned me about you, you know."

At that, the faerie's smirk unfurls into a grin. He turns to look at Sho and holds it for long enough that Sho starts to feel nervous before he finally looks back to the road and asks, "What kinds of things did they warn you about?"

Against his better judgment, Sho begins listing things off: "They said you play pranks, that you'd try to trick me, that you can be mean, that you steal things --"

He stops as he realizes that Nino has driven them to a quiet commercial district. It's not very busy right now, but it's big enough that it has a multi-level parking garage, which Sho only notices because suddenly Nino is steering them inside. "Where are we going?" he asks, but of course Nino doesn't answer. They wind past row after row of cars, past several empty spots, until he finally parks in a spot way up on the third floor where there are only a few other cars. Nino turns the car off and unbuckles his seatbelt, so Sho does the same, but Nino doesn't get out. He just turns in his seat and leans back against the still-closed door, propping one arm on the steering wheel and flashing that same devastatingly handsome smile from earlier.

The confusion only adds to Sho's frustration, but Nino doesn't seem at all offended by Sho's outburst. In fact, he seems pretty delighted. His eyes twinkle with laughter as he asks, "Is that all they told you?"

Sho feels his face go hot. The faerie sitting across from him is maddeningly attractive, there's no one else around, and Sho has no idea what to say because no, that definitely is _not_ all they told him.

He must look absolutely scandalized, because Nino actually laughs out loud. In the next instant he feigns a yawn and stretches as much as he can in the cramped space of the car; he can't reach very far with his arms, but he tilts his head back in a way that lengthens the line of his throat and shows off the sharp angle of his jaw. Sho notices the beauty mark on his chin and feels his face flush een hotter.

He is absolutely screwed.

Still chuckling, Nino straightens out and opens the car door. "That sure was a long drive," he says, even though it couldn't have been more than five or ten minutes. "I think I'm going to lie down in the back. You're free to join me, of course." He steps out of the car and peeks his head in to smile at Sho. "That is, if you're curious to learn for yourself which of those rumors are true."

~

Making out with a faerie is not exactly what Sho would call a successful first interview, but, he supposes, there are a lot of ways it could go worse. Nino kisses him until he's breathless and tingling all over, and then Nino gets a hand in his pants and makes him see stars -- literally. They twinkle colorfully in the hot air of the backseat; when Sho asks, "Is this standard for faerie sex?", Nino laughs and answers, "That's probably better than any of the questions you had written on your little notepad. And, for the record, yes."

After all that, and all the stories he's heard, Sho isn't really surprised when Nino keeps kissing him, keeps stroking him, finally making him come. What does surprise Sho is that he doesn't seem interested in having the favor returned -- and what _astonishes_ Sho is that when they're done, when all he can do is slump back against the seat and try to regain his breathing, Nino pulls his notepad out of what seems like thin air and begins to answer the questions written on it. Sho scrambles for his phone so he can record what Nino is saying, still too shocked and orgasm-silly to do much more than that. He stays sprawled across the back seat like a puddle, with Nino curled up against him, reading off each question and offering insightful answers for each one, even the dumb ones. His favorite human food, it turns out, is hamburger steak.

When the questions have been answered and the recording has been stopped, Nino turns to leave, but Sho pulls him back. "Wait -- I have one more question, off the record."

Nino turns back to see him. For once, he looks completely unguarded. "Hm?"

Sho asks, "Why did you do that? Answer my questions, I mean. I figured you were going to ditch me here in the parking garage or something. No offense."

Nino laughs again, but it's quieter than before. Sho is helplessly charmed by the little crinkles around his eyes. "That was my plan from the start, but I like you. You're honest."

Sho isn't really sure what to make of that. When he gives no response, Nino gets out and returns to the front, where he waits for Sho to tuck himself back into his pants and climb back up into the passenger's seat before starting the car.

They make it back to the park just in time to see the ducklings transform into two full-grown, very upset faerie bodyguards.

~  
~

As far as Sho's bosses and editors are concerned, his success with Nino the faerie prince was little more than beginner's luck. They have faith that he can at least handle himself in the field -- Sho later learned that there was a running bet on whether or not he would return with his wallet, so returning to the office with all his possessions intact did curry him some favor -- but they aren't quite impressed enough to throw anything major his way.

That's how he makes his big break almost entirely on accident.

For this assignment, he and three other rookies have been sent to a middle-of-nowhere coastal town to do a piece on pearl divers. They spend the day tracking down people to interview, and then, by recommendation of a few rowdy locals, they spend the night throwing back shots of sake and sampling some extremely fresh seafood.

It's nearly three in the morning when the four of them finally start stumbling down the street in the direction of their hotel. It's a foggy night, especially on the path they're walking: a cobblestone walkway with rusty metal railing on one side to separate them from the rocky embankment that leads down into the ocean. It's been a long time since Sho has been somewhere like this, since he's smelled such fresh air, and in his drunken haze, he feels as if nothing in the world could possibly be more pleasant. He lets himself lag behind the other three, wanting to savor the moment before he falls asleep only to head back into the city the next morning. He yells to his coworkers that he'll catch up with them soon, but they just keep wobbling up the road, still singing their drinking songs.

He stops there on the cobblestone path. He closes his eyes and takes in a huge breath of ocean air, then lets it all out, opening his eyes again to watch his breath drift through the chilly air. He steps over to the railing and leans against it, looking out into the thick fog that blankets the ocean. He can hear the thunderous crash of each wave, the little splashes of foamy water hitting the rocks, and somewhere, buried underneath all of that, a voice.

At first, he thinks he must be imagining it. But the voice doesn't go away. Then he tells himself that it must be the guys and their drunken singing. But the more he listens, the more clearly he begins to hear it: it _is_ singing, but it's not his tipsy coworkers. It's a calm, steady voice, singing out a quiet melody from somewhere down the road.

With nothing but the waves and the wind to back it, the sound is almost haunting, like a song of mourning -- or perhaps of longing. If he listens closely enough, he can just barely make out some of the words.

_Don't ever go away... Turn your heart towards me..._

Curious, Sho continues slowly down the cobblestone path, keeping his hand on the railing. He follows the voice and knows he's going in the right direction because with each step, he can hear it more loudly, more closely. And then, finally, he sees it: down by the shore, a figure slowly emerges from the fog.

Sho's first instinct is to panic. That looks like the shape of a person, and if someone is out there in the water at this hour, at this temperature, they're bound to get sick. He waves his arms, calling out to the figure. "Hey! Hey, are you all right!"

The only answer is the roar of the waves and the haunting melody of the song.

_Don't ever go away... I don't want to let you go..._

Sho realizes, then, that the voice is coming from the person down on the shore. He makes a split-second decision and begins climbing over the railing, down onto the jagged rocks that lead to the water. He scurries down the side of the embankment, trying to be careful but knowing that he needs to reach that voice. Nothing else matters. He nearly trips a few times, his ankles and feet starting to hurt from his clumsy attempt to navigate the rough terrain, but he finally makes it down to the water's edge. He's still a few meters away from the figure, but he's close enough now to tell that it's definitely a person, and it's definitely the source of the voice. The person is humming wordlessly now, but it's that same haunting melody.

The person must be aware of Sho -- he's making an awful lot of noise as he tries to make it across the rocks -- but he hears no greeting, no response. He finally gets close enough to see that it's a man, leanly muscled, with a sharp nose and sandy blond hair, perched on a large boulder at the very edge of the water.

Sho realizes that the man is shirtless and that his legs are half submerged in the water. "Hey!" he calls out. He's close enough that he doesn't need to yell, but he can't help the sense of urgency that's beginning to overwhelm him. "Hey, mister, are you okay? You're going to freeze out here!"

The humming stops, so the man must have heard Sho, but for a long moment he says nothing. Sho is about to ask again when suddenly the man gives a long, forlorn sigh, and says, "I'm waiting for someone."

Sho wonders who could possibly be worth waiting for out here like this. "Waiting for whom?" he asks.

The man says, "My lover."

A gust of wind sends a chill shuddering down Sho's spine. He wraps his arms around himself and looks out to the ocean, trying to see what the man is seeing. He knows there's absolutely nothing out there, and even if there were, it's impossible to see anything through the fog. A memory creeps into his mind, ghost stories he read as a child about post-war widows who spent their lives standing on the beach, waiting for their long-dead husbands to return home, until they too faded into nothingness. Sho gulps down a sudden feeling of dread and manages to ask, "Is your lover... a fisherman, perhaps?"

"The first part is correct," the man says, and when Sho only tilts his head, unsure what to make of that, the man clarifies, "Not a fisherman. A fish."

Sho is, to say the least, a bit confused. "Uh... what?"

"A big one," the man is saying, gesturing with his hands. "A huge tuna. I know I'll catch it some day. I just have to keep looking."

Coming down here is beginning to look less and less likely to have been a good idea. Sho takes half a step back, still rubbing his palms up and down his arms and starting to worry that _he_ might be the one to freeze to death. "Well, uh, good luck with that," he says. He thinks of trekking back up to the cobblestone path and rejoining his drunken friends.

As soon as the thought enters his mind, the man on the boulder turns to look at him, and once again, he begins to hum.

Sho's mind goes blissfully calm. He knows he was about to do something... but what? What could he possibly want to do other than stay right here? He feels like he's floating in the fog, and at the same time, he's beginning to see the man more clearly -- can see where the golden skin of his hips gives way to shimmering blue scales. Surprise dawns on him but only faintly, as if from some far-off, muffled place in his mind that's yelling to be heard across the churning seawater. Sho can't think. He can't look away from the glimmer of those scales beneath the mist.

"Sho," the man says, reaching out his hand. Sho's name on his lips is just another part of his song -- just another lyric. "Look at me, Sho."

From the instant Sho obeys, he is transfixed. The man's eyes hold him, mesmerize him. Sho doesn't feel the pain of his feet or ankles anymore; he doesn't feel the chill in the air. He steps forward across the rocks and reaches for the man's hand, their fingers joining perfectly like they were made to fit together. The man's flesh is ice-cold, the touch of it making Sho gasp, but he doesn't think even for a moment about turning away. He feels the air around him getting tighter, prickling up and down his arms and the back of his neck; he feels the wind like a wave that pushes him forward, until his knees knock against the boulder and he finds himself half leaning into it, half held in the man's embrace. this close, Sho sees nothing but the man's dark eyes -- can smell nothing but the briny saltwater -- can hear only the waves crashing violently at their feet, and then the siren's song, a dark whisper above the waves:

_I need you, I need you, I need you._

Sho doesn't know if he leans up or if the man leans down; all he knows is that when their lips meet, it's like falling through a crack in the ice, his whole body tingling and prickling with the sudden rush of cold. He feels the ice in his veins and crackling along his skin wherever the man is touching him -- his hand, the back of his neck, his mouth, his tongue. The man isn't singing anymore, but his voice takes up all the room in Sho's head: _Don't ever go away._

He won't. He swears it. He'll go or stay anywhere the man might ask of him.

They pull apart, and Sho aches. They're still close enough that he can feel the brush of the man's lips when he whispers, "Come away with me."

Sho looks out to the black, endless ocean and thinks: _yes._

Then, from up on the cobblestone path: voices -- other voices --

"Sakurai-san! Sakurai-san!"

Before he can react, the siren pulls him fast into another kiss. From that far-off corner of his mind, Sho hears himself whimper, feels the ice spread into his lungs, his heart. He pulls away to gasp, "Take me, please -- take me with you --"

The voices from above grow louder, and then a rock comes flying past Sho's head. The panic of almost getting hit in the face pulls him up from the undertow for only the briefest of moments, but as soon as he begins to slip back down, another rock comes bouncing down the embankment and hits him square in the ankle. The jolt of pain snaps him out of his spell, causing him to stumble back, his hand slipping away from the siren's.

The instant they break contact, Sho feels like he's standing in the middle of a vacuum that someone just let the air back into. He stumbles backwards on the rocks, shivering and blinded by the fog. He hears a scuffle from atop the boulder, and then a splash in the water. When he looks up, the siren is gone.

Above him, the guys begin to cheer. "We're coming to get you!" one of them calls down to him.

Sho yells at them to stay put, that he doesn't want anyone to get hurt. He begins to make his way up the side of the embankment, but he still feels icy cold, and his ankle hurts where the rock smashed into it. He makes it halfway up before he trips and lands hard on his arm, and he knows immediately that something has cracked.

The others scream in terror -- a bit of an overreaction, Sho thinks even as he clutches at his injured arm -- and end up having to come rescue him anyway. Thankfully, no one else is hurt that night, and when they return to Tokyo, they spend weeks telling anyone who will listen that Sho managed to escape the siren's grasp, "not unscathed but alive to tell the tale!"

It's all a bit ridiculous, really, but as it turns out, his boss thinks it would make an incredible article.

~  
~

The siren article spreads like wildfire and garners a wave of positive attention for Sho, especially when readers go back through the archives to find his piece on Nino the faerie prince. Sho begins to receive more and more assignments that involve the supernatural, and although it isn't exactly how he envisioned his career going, he can't deny that he's enjoying it. The subject material is fascinating, if a little dangerous at times, and there are few things he finds more pleasurable than being able to bridge the gap between two worlds, even if it's only for one interview.

So, when the higher-ups need someone for an exclusive scoop on one of Earth's newest visitors, they call on Sho.

When the first shuttle arrived from Venus, the people of Earth all watched in awe as they waited for the hatch to open, for something to emerge. It took a few days for that to happen, and in that time, people coped with their anticipation by playing guessing games, placing bets, spreading rumors. Sho was just a child at the time, and he still remembers some of the theories that went around, the jokes about tentacle monsters and little green men.

When the hatch finally opened, no one was prepared for what walked out. How could they be? In decades of cheesy TV costumes and days of endless guessing, no one had ever thought to imagine that the first Venusians to visit Earth would be so damn _beautiful._

As surprising as that initial moment was, it was perhaps even more shocking to realize that the first two hadn't been flukes; apparently, being extremely attractive to Earthlings was just built into Venusian DNA. Over twenty years later, that fact remains one of the few things Earthlings know about the Venusians -- that and their limitless curiosity, their goofy senses of humor, and their seemingly extreme need for privacy.

"We're a very shy people," Sho's latest interviewee is telling him. The newest ambassador to arrive from Venus, Masaki is an easygoing, cheerful man who seems eager to strengthen the bond between the two worlds. And, incidentally, his smile could light up a whole room.

Sho blinks, looking away from Masaki's mouth and back up to his eyes. _Focus,_ he reminds himself.

Thankfully, Masaki doesn't seem to notice Sho's wandering stare; either he's used to it after being on Earth for a few months, or he himself is too distracted by the huge plate of food in front of him. At Masaki's request, they're meeting in a restaurant in Chiba, apparently on the recommendation of a previous ambassador. "Don't get me wrong," Masaki continues. "We're also very friendly, and we love meeting new races. We just like to observe first."

Sho nods, wanting to show that he understands. He's never had to put this much effort into paying attention before now, but dammit, Masaki is just so distractingly attractive. Even when he's shoveling spoonfuls of fried rice into his mouth, Sho finds it difficult to look away. Or think, for that matter.

This time, Masaki does catch him staring. At the sight of his delighted smirk, Sho shakes himself out of his stupor and glances down at his notepad. "There are theories -- and if this is an inappropriate topic, please let me know -- theories that your tendency to observe is what led your people to abduct Earthlings in the past."

Masaki's smile falls away, but he waves off Sho's concern. "We don't mind talking about this dark chapter of our past, because it's just that: the past. It's true that previous generations of Venusians chose to abduct humans in an effort to learn more about you and your world. I think it's well-known at this point that we're very curious by nature, right? We like to conduct experiments, and science and exploration are very important parts of our culture. That part is still true. But I must stress, Sakurai-san, that those ways have been abolished. Modern Venusians are interested only in mutual exploration." In an instant, his serious expression shifts into a smile, as wide and bright as before. "We want everyone to have a good time!"

Sho finds himself staring a little longer than is strictly necessary -- _Focus, dammit!_ \-- before he remembers to move on to the next question. "Alone those lines, what would you say are the main characteristic of this new age of Earth/Venus relations?"

"Open communication," Masaki answers without hesitatioin. "Transparency. Interaction. Friendship!"

"And, personally, what is one of the things you're most curious to learn about Earth and its people?"

Masaki takes a moment to consider his answer, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of fried prawn. He finally swallows -- Sho can't help but notice the movement of his throat as he does -- and says, "Well, there are a lot of things, so I can't pick just one! But one of our most important goals is to find out if it's possible for Earthlings and Venusians to mate. And, of course, our scientists are working to acquire this information in a purely consensual manner."

Sho is immediately distracted by the thought of Masaki mating with -- well, with just about anyone. Before he can stop himself, he asks, "Any candidates?"

Masaki grins like he knows exactly what Sho is thinking. "We're still studying the theory behind it before we attempt to put anything into practice," he says, "but there are plenty of volunteers from both planets who are enthusiastically researching the, ah... logistics, if you will."

Never in his life has Sho had such a physical reaction to the word "logistics." He shifts in his seat and takes a long sip from his glass of water before asking, "And are there any noteworthy findings so far?"

"As it turns out, our physiologies and reproductive systems are actually quite similar! There are, of course, some notable differences."

"Such as?"

Masaki was already grinning, but now his smile grows somehow even wider. "Well, for instance, Earthlings and Venusians both experience physical changes when arousal occurs, correct? Blood flow, hormones, that sort of thing."

Sho nods -- it's about all he can do.

"However, there is one change our bodies go through that yours don't. The truth, Sakurai-san, is that some of the things your people imagine about us aren't that far off. You see..." He leans forward, as if he's about to share a delicious secret, and whispers across the table, "We really do grow tentacles."

~

Sho learns a lot of interesting things about Venusians that day, including:

1\. They think nearly any food can be made into tea.

2\. They're incredibly fond of Earth animals, since the ones on Venus are all terrifying.

3\. Venusian sperm, when ingested by humans, has the unique side effect of lowering the post-orgasm refractory period by a significant amount.

~

That evening, Sho sits down in front of his laptop and begins typing out a first draft of his opening paragraph.

 _To understand the Venusians,_ he writes, _we must first understand their home planet. Until only recently, the clouds of toxic sulfur that shield Venus's surface made it impossible for us to detect what lay hidden underneath the planet's crust; we now know, however, that this is where the Venusians live, where they build their cities, and where they have created a thriving society with a rich cultural heritage. The planet's cloud cover mirrors the Venusian tendency towards privacy, which at times may lead us -- with our Earthling sensibilities -- to interpret them as distant, aloof, or even hostile. Yet, those same sulfur clouds reflect the sun's light, making Venus shine brighter than any other planet in our solar system. It is a dazzlingly beautiful fixture in the evening sky if only you're lucky enough to catch it. These are the things we must remember about the Venusians themselves: they are beautiful, enchanting people, but that beauty is only what we see on the surface. If we allow ourselves to look beyond that, we will find a race of highly intelligent, caring people whose desire to learn at their own pace does nothing to lessen their need for friendship._

Sho sits back, cracking his knuckles as he rereads the words on his screen. Behind him, Masaki is beginning to wake from his nap. When Sho turns to look, he sees Masaki stretching his long, sun-kissed limbs out across the sheets, his smile practically glowing in the dim light. "Sho-chan," he calls, his voice husky from sleep. "Come back to bed."

With a grin, Sho saves his document and shuts off his laptop. His deadline isn't until tomorrow, anyway.

~  
~

The faerie piece helped Sho get his foot in the door, the siren piece got his name out there, and the Venus piece sent him skyrocketing into success. He's proud to have reached a point in his journalistic career where he can choose what he wants to write about, who he wants to interview, and this time, he's decided to turn his focus on a recent phenomenon that has been spreading quickly across Japan.

When it was recently made legal for vampires to bite consenting humans, it didn't take long for so-called vampire clubs to start springing up in major cities; the particular club Sho is visiting for this project was the first of its kind in Tokyo. Of course Sho has already done a great deal of research, and he's excited to learn more, but when he enters the club, he's not entirely sure what kind of reaction to expect. On one hand, he's read some truly harrowing accounts of vampires attacking humans -- there's a reason it took so long for this kind of thing to be legalized, after all -- but on the other hand, he understands that most vampires are grateful for the new law and are eager to show humans that it was the right choice.

So, no, Sho's not worried enough to accept his boss's offer to send a bodyguard in with him; he feels confident that the _MEDIA_ badge on his jacket is enough assurance of his safety. But still, he can't help but feel a little nervous as one of the staff members leads him through the packed club, up to a private office on the second floor where the owner is waiting for him.

It does help calm his nerves that everyone he's spoken to about the club has said that the owner is professional and kind. When Sho enters the office, Matsumoto is waiting for him with a smile and a cup of tea from a freshly brewed pot, and they trade polite greetings and move to sit at Matsumoto's desk, where Sho sips his tea and begins, "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Clubs like yours have become very popular; you must be receiving constant requests for interviews..."

"You're very welcome," Matsumoto says, smiling easily as he leans back in his chair. "I'm happy to accept. There aren't many journalists like you, after all."

"Oh?"

"I've read some of your work," he explains. "I appreciate how you handle your interviews. You come off as genuinely curious, but also respectful. I believe that's very important in matters like this."

Sho nods and says, "Yes, I agree." He sets down his tea and reaches into his back pocket for his notepad and phone, holding them up for Matsumoto to see. "Shall we begin?"

He sets his phone onto the desk and sets it to record their conversation. He starts with some standard questions about the club, about what it's like to run this kind of business, about how Matsumoto reacted when he first learned about the new law. It's nothing that hasn't been asked or answered by others before, but Sho wants to hear it in Matsumoto's own words. After that, they move on to other topics: _As the owner, what kinds of difficulties do you believe are unique to this kind of business? What do you find most rewarding about your work? What steps do you think humans can take to continue forging a productive relationship with vampires?_ Matsumoto answers each of his questions thoughtfully, and as they continue talking, Sho forgets all about his initial nervousness; it feels more like a conversation than an interview, which, to Sho, is always a sign of success.

He crosses questions off as he goes, and before he knows it, there's only one item left on his list. It's not a question so much as a note to himself, because even as he was preparing, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. All he has in his notes is a single word, punctuated with a question mark and circled hastily: _biting?_

It's not the kind of topic he wants to just jump right into, so he takes another sip of his tea as he contemplates how to begin. "This is the last question," he finally says, "and it's something that has already been written about quite extensively since the law was passed, so I was hoping you might be able to offer your own perspective."

"My own personal spin," Matsumoto says.

"Yes -- exactly. With that in mind, I'd like to talk about the experience of..." He stumbles for a moment, unsure of how to phrase it, and decides it's best to be honest: "I apologize. I know different people use different terms, such as feeding, or biting, or..."

Matsumoto's voice has gone quiet when he says, "Biting is fine." Something about his demeanor has changed. Sho isn't positive what it is, but he has a feeling it's about to lead him somewhere interesting. Matsumoto continues, "I agree that there's already been a lot of discussion on the topic. I've read other vampires' accounts of what it's like, the head rush, the rejuvenation, things like that. I'm not sure I have anything unique to say about it. However..."

He trails off, leaning back in his chair and simply looking at Sho like he's thinking of something. Matsumoto is an attractive man, perfectly composed, and to suddenly have those strong features trained on Sho like he's sizing him up for something... It lights something inside of Sho, makes him feel hot all over and also, somehow, very small. He was nervous when he first walked into the club, but this is the first time he's felt intimidated.

And yet, he doesn't feel the need to run. He wants to see how this will play out.

As if he's made up his mind about something, Matsumoto leans forward, propping his elbows on the desk. "If you want a truly personal account of it," he says, the corners of his mouth beginning to curve upward, "I can help you experience it for yourself."

Sho's mouth suddenly feels very dry. He takes another sip of his tea and manages to keep his voice steady when he asks, "It's not rude, is it? For me to make such a request of you?"

Matsumoto is smiling outright now. "That's why you're here, isn't it? No need to be shy, Sakurai-san."

"In that case, I..." Sho swallows down the nervousness that's quickly returning. He's read about vampire senses; he's sure Matsumoto can hear the way his heartbeat is picking up. "Yes. Yes, I would... appreciate that."

"Appreciate" isn't exactly the right word -- but "enjoy" might have been too much of a confession.

Matsumoto is still smiling as he rises from his chair and walks around the desk to stand in front of Sho. He motions for Sho to stand up, and when Sho starts to step away, he holds up a hand to stop him. "No, stay here. You'll want to sit afterwards. I trust you know what to expect?"

Matsumoto is standing right in his personal space, but they're not actually touching yet. Sho nods, unable to find his voice at first, then forces himself to speak when Matsumoto doesn't move. "Some pain at first, then mild to severe lightheadedness."

"I won't let you fall," Matsumoto assures him. "And I won't take enough blood to harm you. If you want me to stop before I'm done, simply say so. Do you understand?"

Sho nods again, and this time Matsumoto accepts it. He steps, somehow, even closer. His skin is a little chilly when he touches Sho, one hand on his shoulder, the other on the back of his neck. He leans in, close enough for Sho to realize that his fangs are out, then closer, until Sho can't see his face anymore -- close enough that his lips brush Sho's skin, right over his pulse point, when he asks, "Ready?"

Sho's "yes" is barely more than a whisper, but it's enough. Matsumoto's hand curls tight around the back of his neck as he feels Matsumoto's mouth on his throat -- and then the sharp pain of fangs piercing his skin.

Sho gasps as his hands dart up to grip Matsumoto's forearms. He doesn't want to push him away, but he needs something to hold on to. The pain radiates out from his neck until he can feel it all over his body, but as the seconds tick by, it fades into something different. Sho still feels it from his neck all the way down to his fingertips, but it doesn't hurt anymore -- it's more of a warm, pleasant tingle just under his skin.

And then Matsumoto begins to drink.

Sho can't help but moan, gripping Matsumoto's arms so tightly that it must hurt. He becomes distinctly aware of his pulse, the way his heart is beating like crazy, and he thinks somewhere in the back of his mind that Matsumoto must be able to feel it in the way Sho's blood is pumping into his mouth. That thought sends a little jolt running all the way down his body, lighting up all his nerves until he hears himself moaning again, louder this time. He feels his energy begin to deplete, leaving his body all in a rush; his hands go limp, his legs tremble, and Matsumoto pulls him closer, keeping one hand on the back of his neck and moving the other to the small of his back, practically holding him up now.

He feels like he could float here forever, but it's only a few moments before Matsumoto pulls away. He leans back but doesn't let go, which is good because Sho's not entirely certain he can stand on his own right now. As promised, Matsumoto doesn't let Sho fall; he lowers him gently back into the chair, and then steps away to lean against the desk. Without Matsumoto's solid presence to ground him, Sho feels a bit like he's melting. His legs are askew, his hands are resting limply over his knees -- the polar opposite of Matsumoto, standing there against the desk with his ankles crossed, arms folded, looking extremely proud of himself.

He smirks at Sho and asks, "Well?", and Sho realizes very suddenly that Matsumoto looks so smug because Sho is _hard as a rock._

He tries to sit upright, wants to cover himself or cross his legs or _something_ , because this would be embarrassing enough on its own even without Matsumoto smiling at him like that. It only makes him feel more ridiculous when Matsumoto asks innocently, "Would you like me to take care of that as well?"

Sho's strength is finally starting to come back to him, just in time for him to cover his face with his hands. "This is a little embarrassing," he mutters.

"It's a normal reaction," Matsumoto assures him. "I'm happy to help."

Sho peeks through his fingers. "Normal, you say?"

Matsumoto's smile widens into a grin. "Completely. I want you to understand, Sakurai-san, that I'm not going to pressure you into anything. If you want me to step outside so that you can compose yourself, I will. But if you'd like some assistance, well... I can do that too. So I'll ask again."

He steps closer, hitching his knee up onto the chair right between Sho's already splayed thighs -- scant centimeters from his erection.

"Would you like me to take care of that?"

~

When Sho gets home, the first thing he does is start a new recording on his phone so that he can dictate some of his thoughts on the experience; he doesn't want to forget a single detail. Afterwards, he pulls up the file from the interview and hits play so that he can review their session, see if he missed anything.

He jots down notes as he listens to their conversation, but stops when he reaches the part when Matsumoto bit him. By that point he'd completely forgotten about his phone, and listening back now, it's a little awkward to hear himself making those kinds of noises. He distracts himself by thinking about the logistics of it, wondering how increased blood flow to his dick could possibly be "a normal reaction" to having his blood _sucked out of him._ For a few moments, he entertains the thought of looking into the matter from a more scientific perspective, perhaps including a section in the article to explain how it works.

Of course, as the recording continues, he quickly realizes that listening to himself having his blood sucked by a vampire is nothing compared to listening to himself getting fucked against a desk by one.

 _No,_ he thinks, _this definitely isn't going into the article._

**Author's Note:**

> The words to Ohno's siren song are from [yarukizero's translation of "Two"](http://yarukizero.livejournal.com/132497.html) with some slight modifications.


End file.
